I've got my gift all picked out!

So Black Friday has come and gone... and .... to be honest... I'm dismayed at our addiction to things. We (I'm just speaking for what I see going on around me and in America) are so addicted that we cannot even see how bad it really is. I'm one of several million people that watched several other million people crawl all over items in a store like hungry fire ants and said "Whew! That's crazy! At least I'm not like that..."

But is it true? Do I not desire a vacation with the family (I mean that's basically something that is a necessity...right?)? How about a computer for the kids to do homework? My wife and kids need new clothes....

... or so I think. It is my addiction to things...fueled by all those around me. We're in it together...enabling each other with comforting thoughts like... "I'm not like so-and-so, they are SO materialistic". Please don't get me wrong I'm in no way saying that material things are inherently bad... God delights in providing material things for His children.... What I'm saying is I see in me...around me... in our country, a focus on the material and not a focus on God. It is a matter of where my heart is... where our hearts are.

So this year, starting now... in this Advent season... (yes Advent started quietly maybe silently in comparison to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday reporting by the media...) to change my heart and focus it toward God and the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ!

I would like to propose a prayer for all Christians this holiday season. I would ask that we pray for God to prepare something special in our hearts...that we HEAR His call, are WILLING to respond, and are immediately OBEDIENT to act. I pray that it is our LOVE for each other as followers of Christ and LOVE for others that they see and are drawn to know more about our Creator!  

It is this gift...the free gift of salvation, I pray has the biggest impact this Christmas!

Christopher B

This is for a premie baby, Christopher B - my cousins son - who passed away this weekend. His time on earth was short but he was able to connect people to God...interesting work for a human 27 weeks premature. This is a post from the Caring Bridge journal my cousin posted (I did not ask permission, but I'm hoping that since the journal is public, she won't mind). I love the way that when God gives you a glimpse of Him....you see SO much....

"A friend from monument came to visit me and Christopher yesterday. Like everyone, she was speechless in his presence, not even attempting to find words to describe the experience. We marveled at Christopher and all of his little victories and shared some good conversation. As she got ready to leave she said, "Well, I'm gonna go home and tell my husband that I saw God today." My eyes opened wide and I looked at her with glassy eyes. "You know, its a country song...George Strait sings it." I told her that I'd never heard the song, but that I LOVED that expression used in relation to seeing Christopher, and that I would go home and listen to it right away.

Once home, there were too many things to do so, of course, I forgot to ever listen to the song. But I was able to pull it up on my IPOD as I drove to the hospital this morning. The chorus says "I've been to church and I've read the book, I know He's here, but sometimes I just don't look..." I was suddenly overwhelmed with how appropro the verse was. It's easy to get caught up in our days of work, school, dishes, laundry, gossip, news, and headlines. We get distracted from seeing God right in front of us...until something, or someone, like Christopher comes along.

Not only did I see God today in the purest, tiniest miracle of Christopher, but I saw Him in the SCHWANNS delivery man who showed up yesterday with several frozen dinners, paid for by friends from Denver. I saw God in my neighbor who knocked on our door last night and asked if she could plant our trying-to-survive-but-really-dying mums. I saw God in the hundreds of beautiful emails and texts we've received over the course of the last few days. I saw God in the nurse who gave Christopher the gentlest bath I've ever seen. I saw God in my fifteen and sixteen year old daughters who came to visit their brother today before going to school.

Truly, I am overwhelmed at the magnitude in which I see God, working in ALL our lives through the birth of this tiny person. An entire community coming together with such love and support...there is no doubt in my mind who's hand is behind this...God's!"

Rest in peace little Christopher B...

1 is More Than 99?

The right thing to do is not always the most logical...that is what I've been thinking about lately. Strategic planning sessions, lawyers, savvy CEO's, mentors and friends alike often give advice for the right thing to do often based on logistics...probability of something happening and providing a risk assessment. Then the "correct" answer is the one that limits risk and/or has the best probability of happening. I've given advice based on these concepts.

In Isaiah 55: 8-9 God says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

Good thing... Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep in Mathew 18: 12-13 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off."

That does not seem to make logical sense...why leave ninety-nine to go get one ? Why be so happy about it? I've been taught in school and logical thinking as an engineer that that is a stupid move...Yeah...God's ways are not my ways... I want them to be...I want to be happy I found one when I just left ninety-nine. So often I'm busting my hump to corral the remaining ninety-nine so I don't lose any more! That's the logical thing, right? It doesn't cross my mind that I should go after the one!

I am even worse than that, though... You see... I expect Jesus to come after me when I am the one out of ninety-nine that is alone. I feel like the man that brought his son that was possessed to Jesus and Jesus says that everything is possible for those that believe...the next is my favorite..."Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”...the story can be found in Mark 9:14-32.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father that You sent Your Son after the one! Thank you that each of us can identify with that one and that we can experience Your love. Please help me, Lord to better understand Your ways and help me to go after the one....even when it is not the logical thing to do! 

Swim

I remember watching my kids learn how to swim. They did great in the shallow end where they new they could swim, but if anything happened, they could just stand up...no harm, no foul. I remember watching them - under my urging - strike out for the "deep end". Inevitably they would be swimming like champs until they realized that they were actually in the deep end. They couldn't touch the bottom! There was something about that realization that made them physically unable to swim - no matter how well they were doing prior. They would flail around and either I'd have to swim out and help them or talk to them to calm them and then they would continue to swim to the edge.

This is how I picture my walk with God.... I like to swim where I can touch the bottom. I'm still serving, I tell myself. I'm doing God's work...However.....there is a longing in my heart for more...for the deep end...for what is unknown - scary....

Right now I feel like I have started swimming into the deep end and I have realized that I can't touch but I have enough energy to get back to where I can...I'm flailing...I want to get out to the deep... rely on God and His provisions...but something keeps doubt in my mind....barely treading water....should I go back to what is known?...will I drown out here?...Does anyone even know that I'm out here?...

Swim, Bradley....just focus on Me and swim....

Bread

OK... this may be not quite appropriate...but...I've got to tell you....I was REALLY mad when my church replaced our "bread" in communion (you know the little squares...what Dane Cook calls Christ Chex) with little flecks (about half the size of the square).

Man... I NEED more Christ .... not less! The little flecks are NOT a replacement for the squares...take note admin folks that order "the bread of Christ"!

Also... I've been to churches that give you actual bread...you know... you tear off a hunk. Secretly, (well not so secretly now..) I want the moist chewy Christ. Right?! Who wants a crusty, dry Christ?

I tend to want Christ my way. It is hard sometimes for me to grasp the fullness of Christ... It is easy for me to see his grace, love, understanding... It's like the chewy bread of Christ... yummy and tasty! But what about the Christ that brings a holiness that chases out the demons...What about the temple table tossing Christ? That's harder for me to stomach...I don't like the hard, crusty Christ.... But... alas, I need the fullness of Christ. I need the butt kicking Christ as well as the hugging Christ.

Just don't give me little bread fleck of Christ... I at least want the full square!!!

The Black Hole

Many people live in what feels like a building with no windows. Their life turns dark gray and the weight of the world starts to crush them. Nothing seems fun and they feel worthless... I know... I am one of them. Today's blog is very important if you are also a person that experiences depression. Here are some facts:

• 80% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully.
• By 2010, depression will be the #1 disability in the world. (World Health Organization)
• The strongest risk factor for suicide is depression.
• Many who attempt suicide never seek professional care.
• Over half of all suicides occur in adult men, ages 25-65.
• For young people 15-24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death.
• There are an estimated 8 to 25 attempted suicides to 1 completion.
• 1 in 65,000 children ages 10 to 14 commit suicide each year.

I have also found that I find comfort and indeed the ability to exit my depression through God's word.


That may sound hokey... but if you have depression 1) tell someone and get help 2) tell God.

Here is what God has told me during these lonely, cold, dark times...

1 John 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (We are children of God - the King! - we are...you and I are...princes and princesses. You are worth something! Something special, indeed!)

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (Since we are His children, it makes sense that He would care about us. I've found that it is easier to say that I give my worries and cares to God and much harder to do it...as I have been able to do this - it is HARD - I have definitely seen His hand in my life and His peace in my being)

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (Don't think that God does not hear you...he does! We have the ability to approach God in His throne room...we don't even have to make an appointment! When I start to feel low... I barge right in there and tell Him - it doesn't have to be a perfect prayer...He will meet you where you are...reach out and say what you want - from your heart)

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  (Thank you God for including this...even when I think that I am small, weak and worthless....You choose me! God CHOOSES YOU.)

 

God loves you and works through you...you are valuable and the world needs you! You are not alone...there are many of us around...it is not shameful...reach out - get help...and call to God!

 

Approval Rating

It seems as though my fellow humans are interested in getting and having approval from their peers, superiors and followers (which is great because then I don't feel like the only one!). Growing up in high school peoples lives are often hijacked in the name of popularity. I've worn some pretty ugly clothes just so I could feel like part of the crowd! The news media often talks about a famous persons (especially the President's) approval rating.

I've had the hunch, though, that a high approval rating may not be the indicator of success...

This morning I read in 1 Samuel 15 about Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul was chosen because he was humble and did what God told him to do. Well.... fast forward a few years and here's God telling Saul "Hey, remember those Amalekites...? Well I'm tired of them pushing my people around.... so... Saul, I want you to go and wipe them out - don't leave any of them alive AND kill all of their livestock, too!" Well, Saul is a big king now, he wants to be seen as someone that can lead effectively - you know...have good approval ratings with his subjects.

So here is what Saul does - Saul goes out and NEARLY wipes out the Amalekites. You see he brings back their king and their best livestock (he killed all the weak and useless ones). The people were SO happy with Saul! Great job king! In fact, let's build a little monument to Saul!!! Yahoo!

Samuel was mad as a hornets nest! Why? Because Saul did not do what God asked...Saul did some of it...MOST of it but not all of it. Why? Because Saul was more interested in how the people viewed him than how God viewed him. What does God say about this? Well, God is sorry that He selected Saul as the king...and so is Samuel.

My first thought is "Wow, what an idiot, Saul!" "Just do what God tells you and you would have been OK" Unfortunately, the longer I thought about this the more convicted I became of my own actions!!! How many times has God spoken to me to do something, help someone, quit doing something... You want to know what? Saul is better than me, because sometimes I don't do what God tells me to do at ALL - I don't even do some or MOST.... I sit back and worry about my approval rating... will people say that I'm some kind of freak???

Prayer:  God, please give me the strength and courage to do what you ask of me. Help me to do it right away and help me to do all of it!

Maybe someday my approval rating won't matter...Hopefully......people will say that I'm some kind of freak!